The man lauded as “Japan’s Beethoven”, who has admitted he never wrote his compositions, appeared before cameras for the first time since the scandal surfaced – clean-shaven and minus his trademark sunglasses.

Mamoru Samuragochi, who used to sport long hair, bowed repeatedly at a news conference, and apologised for the troubles he had caused his fans, producers behind his works and others.

He acknowledged he had worked with his collabourator Takashi Niigaki in secret for 18 years. Niigaki recently told a tabloid magazine he was the ghostwriter behind the works, including the “Hiroshima” symphony.

Samuragochi said his hearing had been recovering, but denied he was posturing as deaf, and said he still had hearing problems.

Olympian figure-skater Daisuke Takahashi used a Samuragochi tune at the Sochi games.